Currently, high heels are an indispensable fashion item for women, and high heels provide visual effects of making legs of women look longer and charms of emphasizing femininity thereby attracting hearts of many women.
Therefore, taking these points into consideration, heels of recent high heels are becoming higher to a height beyond imagination such that even models who are professional walkers fall down at fashion shows, however many women are not aware of the dangers from high heels.
Currently, according to public knowledge, many factors that harm the health of feet, the health of joints and the health of spine exist hidden behind the popularity of the high heels.
First, when walking for a long period of time while wearing the high heel having a high heel part, the ankle becomes unstable and excessive pressures occur at forefoot, and knee joints (knees) may be stressed because ankles are unstable.
In other words, because the heel is high, the ankle moves left and right while walking, muscles and joints continuously perform their role to maintain balance thus receiving large amounts of stress, and the joints become damaged when the walking is extended for a long period of time.
Second, the heel of the high heel is high and most of parts enclosing the forefoot part including the toes of the foot, in other words, a front nose is narrowly formed to provide a sense of beauty, so when the center of gravity becomes concentrated at a front part while walking, due to the pressure by the weight of the person walking and also the walking pressure concentrating to the foot front part (front part of the foot), a large amount of pressure is transferred to the forefoot of the toe.
Therefore, because the pressure concentrates to a specific part, blisters, calluses or corns may form at the forefoot part, and as a result, the concentration to the front part of the foot eventually causes pain from the big toe bending toward the second toe and a bone protruding outward due to hallux valgus of the toe.
In other words, the excessive pressure to the front part of the foot and the reduced area of the front part of the high heel eventually reduces the stress transferred to an inner arch of the sole, so, because the front part is narrow, the toes become bent when wearing the shoe.
In addition, if the stress is not continuously transferred to the inner arch, the toe is continuously bent.
Third, when the center of gravity moves to the front of the body due to the height of the high heel, the spine becomes deformed and the deformation is called lordosis, and when the deformation is extended for a long period of time, various spinal disorders such as low back pain, lumbar herniated intervertebral disc, etc. may occur, and as a result, pain in the shoulder and the neck may occur.
Therefore, experts advise that to prevent the occurrences, the muscles which are shortened due to the deformation should be stretched and strengthened, and the high heel should not be worn for a long period of time.
Fourth, recent research states that due to the height of the high heel, the pressure applied to the knee increases about 25% more than when the high heel is not worn, so the high heel does not only endanger the foot, but also our knee.
In addition, because of the height of the high heel, the gait becomes unstable, and the possibility of pain due to an ankle sprain is high while walking on an uneven surface.
Further, due to the height of the high heel, a contraction of the muscle may occur, so pain in the heel of the foot may occur and other joints may become degraded.
In other words, the body should be balanced by the entire foot to walk correctly, however, because the weight concentrates to the front since the heel is lifted while walking with the high heel, the body leans forward, so the pelvis and the neck naturally moves out to the front thus a normal spinal position cannot be established.
In addition, the muscles are contracted for a long period of time when the high heel is worn, and as a result, when a calf muscle, which is the most important factor for walking, is contracted, a normal blood circulation becomes difficult so symptoms of varicose veins may occur.
Further, because the center of gravity concentrates to one side of the body, calluses or corns at the big toe may occur and the legs may become deformed into an O shape due to an ankle deformation.
In addition, when the high heel is worn, the heel is lifted so the length of the gastrocnemius (calf muscle) becomes shorter, and the length of the Achilles' tendon, which connects the gastrocnemius, also becomes significantly shorter.
In addition, to block the body from leaning, the waist leans backward and the length of an elector spine muscle becomes shorter (lordosis: risk of a disk).
Further, because the waist leans backward, the lower abdomen sticks out and the abdominal muscle becomes stretched and the strength in the abdominal part reduces.
In addition, the waist is in constant pain since muscle cramps (length is shortened) in the waist occur, the risk of disk exist, the strength of the abdominal part becomes weaker so the abdominal part sticks out and a sense of having a potbelly may be felt even when standing still.
Further, the high heel weakens the Achilles' tendon. The Achilles' tendon is a tendon attached to the heel bone, and is anatomically called a calcaneal tendon. The triceps muscle of the calf, which forms the calf of a back surface of the lower leg, is formed by gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, the lower part of the musculus bicep is formed by the rotator cuff, and these are combined to form a strong joint tendon to form the Achilles' tendon.
In other words, when taking a step or running, the triceps muscles of the calf contract and the Achilles' tendon become very tense. This is the Achilles' tendon or anatomically called the calcaneal tendon.
The muscles forming the calf of a back surface of the lower leg are the triceps muscles of the calf, which are formed by the gastrocnemius muscle having two convex heads and the soleus muscle having one convex head at a deep part of the gastrocnemius muscle.
The lower part of the musculus bicep is formed by the rotator cuff, and these are combined to form a strong joint tendon. This is the Achilles' tendon. The lower part of this muscle is attached to an elevated back surface of the calcaneus (heel bone) such that the muscle may be touched through the skin just above the heel. When the triceps muscles of the calf contract, the heel is pulled along with this muscle so the foot bends toward the sole. When a part at which the Achilles' tendon exist is hit while the foot is maintained vertical to a lower leg axis, the triceps muscles of the calf contract by the stimulation, the foot reflexively bends toward the sole.
This is called the Achilles' tendon reflex. The nucleus of the reflex is in the sacral part of the spinal cord, the reflex does not occur when this part is damaged. Therefore, the loss of the Achilles' tendon reflex is helpful for diagnosing diseases of the spinal cord or the spinal nerves. When taking a step or running, the triceps muscles of the calf contract and the Achilles' tendon become very tense. In this case, when a sudden motional force is applied to an unnatural direction, the possibility of the tendon being torn is high. In this case, the tendon detaches from the attaching part of the calcaneus or the tendon becomes cracked (Achilles' tendon rupture).
Recently, when women who enjoy wearing the high heels wear sneakers or a shoe having a low heel, pain occurs in the heel, and this is due to the Achilles' tendinitis occurring from the Achilles' tendon contracting by wearing the high heel for a long period of time.
In other words, the Achilles' tendinitis occurs by the contracted Achilles' tendon stretching in the heel of the foot and the calf muscle when the sneaker is worn, and when the level of the contraction is high, pain from a significant pull may be felt.
The reason is that, because of the high heel, the Achilles' tendon becomes thick and hard such that the Achilles' tendon becomes inelastic, and when an exercise is started, the Achilles' tendon becomes strained and inflamed.
Currently, according to public knowledge, about 70% to 80% of 500 adult women in the ages of 20 to 30 who wear high heels say that they definitely wear the high heels two to three times every week, at least 40% to 50% of these women wear high heels having 7 cm or higher, and 50% of these women wear the high heels for at least 5 hours a day.
In addition, at least 50% to 60% of the women who wear high heels experienced deformation of the foot, 30% to 40% experienced bending of the toe, and about 10% experienced bending of the top side of the foot or the heel protruding outward.
Specifically, the public knowledge shows an unexpected result of one out of three women who enjoy wearing the high heels at least two to three times a week (29.7%, 115 persons/387 persons) felt more comfortable when wearing the high heels which are the cause of the foot disorders than when wearing low shoes such as sneakers.
A group preferring shoes of at least 7 cm among the group who answered that the high heels are more comfortable is 56.5% (65 persons/155 persons), which is 15% higher than a group who answered that the high heels are uncomfortable 41.2% (112 persons/272 persons). A group wearing the high heels every day among the group who answered that the high heels are more comfortable is 13% (15 persons/155 persons), which is close to 3 times more than the group who answered that the high heels are uncomfortable 5% (14 persons/272 persons).
Therefore, when the heel of the shoe is high, the heel of the wearer is always lifted and causes abnormal deformation.
In other words, when the high heel is frequently worn, the heel of the wearer is always fixed at the lifted state, so the foot adapts to the shape of the high heel. Specifically, the length of the back part the Achilles' tendon, in which the elasticity is degraded in accordance with the height of the high heel, becomes suddenly stretched when the high heel is removed, thus a pull is felt in the heel of the wearer such that pain occurs. Thus, wearing a shoe without heels or standing barefoot becomes uncomfortable.
Therefore, when the high heel is continuously worn, the elasticity degrades due to the abnormal deformation of the Achilles' tendon, which is a muscle strongly functioning when the heel of the wearer is lifted, so when the wearer moves while wearing the low shoe, the hardened Achilles' tendon suddenly stretches and receives a large amount of stress.
In addition, when the high heel is worn for a long period of time, the flexibility of the muscular fiber of the calf muscle degrades and does not correctly absorb the shock from making contact with the ground. In this case, the possibility of a small rupture occurring to the Achilles' tendon or the Achilles' tendinitis, in which inflammation to the aponeurosis covering the Achilles' tendon occurs, occurring becomes higher.